Treatise on Armament Technology: Military Logistics and Provisions

Whether by sea or land, and whether by cart, by horse, or by porter—the methods were already fully established by the ancients. However, tactics and opportunities may change based on new discoveries; therefore, I have discussed these matters in great detail. As for the calculation of rations per person, although methods vary according to the specific circumstances and locations, the ancients did not consider such trivialities beneath them. They calculated meticulously to provide guidance for those who follow. I preserve these records here to inform the mofu original: 幕府. This refers to the headquarters or the "tent office" of a military commander and their staff..

Fields are the source of grain, just as mines are the source of gold. During the Song Dynasty 960–1279 CE, the profits from mining and smelting were immeasurable. The wealth of foreign nations also lies in these resources. Today, however, mining is viewed solely as a plague upon the world. Officials hold their tongues and dare not speak of it. But this is not the fault of the mines themselves; it is the fault of those who manage them. If one were to employ zhongjuan original: 中涓. A term for palace eunuchs. In the Ming Dynasty, eunuchs were often sent to provinces to supervise taxes and mining, frequently leading to corruption and unrest. and thugs to oversee the tuntian military-agricultural colonies, would that not also nearly throw the world into chaos? Yet, the world cannot abandon farming simply because of such mismanagement.

Therefore, the late minister Hu Xiangmou Hu Zongxian (1512–1565), a Ming general famous for his campaign against "Japanese" pirates; "Xiangmou" is his posthumous name. used these resources to support the army, and the late minister Tang Shunzhi A prominent Ming scholar and military theorist (1507–1560) known for his expertise in coastal defense. also spoke of this repeatedly. How could these two ministers have reached such conclusions without deep and profound consideration?